Danica D'Hondt Movies
- 1966
Newlywed life is anything but bliss for a woman (Anne Helm), when her husband (Tom Kirk) is plagued by fainting spells every time he contemplates consummating his marriage. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1965
A Very Special Favor stars Rock Hudson as a notorious romeo and Leslie Caron as a prudish psychiatrist. At the urging of Caron's lawyer father Charles Boyer, Hudson begins a seduction campaign. Caron resents this intrusion in her private affairs and builds up a wall of resistance against the ardent Mr. Hudson. Still, the film ends with Hudson and Caron happily married, with plenty of children underfoot and another one on the way. Roundly panned for its alleged smarminess in 1965, A Very Special Favor is offensive today not for its sex talk but for its "pregnant, barefoot, in-the-kitchen" mentality. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rock Hudson, Leslie Caron, (more)
- 1964
In this comedy, a Yankee musician is working in Paris when he encounters a movie star chasing after her naughty French poodle Monsieur Cognac. The name is most apropos for the little doggy is quite the lush when it comes to booze. This suits the hard-drinking musician just fine and the two go out on a bender. Later the star and her father find the toasted twosome. The star begins falling in love with the musician. Despite her father's objections, the two get married. Unfortunately, Mr. Cognac accompanies them on the honeymoon. He becomes quite jealous of the woman's new husband and ruins their wedding night. Because she refuses to relinquish the dog, their new marriage is nearly destroyed. They separate until the husband manages to bring home Pink Poupee, a charming female poodle. Suddenly Mr. C forgets all about his jealousy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Curtis, Christine Kaufmann, (more)
- 1964
This drama tells the true story of one of Broadway's most successful madams in the 1920s. It is loosely based on the autobiography of Polly Adler. The story begins when young Polly is seduced and raped at her job by the sweatshop foreman. When her uncle, with whom she lived, learns of the act, he blames her and tosses her out. She then moves into an apartment owned by a racketeer. It is he who encourages her into her "helping" profession when he gives her money for bringing her pals to a gangster party. Soon she is beginning to build up her own clientele. As her business prospers, she begins to choose nicer locations. Her tiny cathouse becomes a haven for sleazy politicos, mobsters, and businessmen. The madame herself has a passionate romance with a young songwriter and she helps his career. He does not know of her vocation and she eventually breaks up with him to keep his reputation intact. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shelley Winters, Robert Taylor, (more)
- 1961
This entertaining story about the rise and fall of a Hugh Hefner-like publisher named Jack Norwall (William Kerwin) may be quite a surprise to those who only know director Herschell Gordon Lewis for his later gore films. Fired from his job at Newlywed magazine, Kerwin vows to start his own publication, something daring and different. He finds his inspiration in a statue of the Venus de Milo, and a living symbol of her beauty in a waitress named Peggy (Danica D'Hondt). Quickly finding a partner in down-and-out photographer Harvey Korman, Kerwin launches the first issue of Pagan. The magazine is a smashing success, but on his way to the top, Kerwin forgets his humanity, and tragedy ensues. Kerwin is quite good in the lead, followed from his ambitious salad days to his ruthless time at the top and the inevitable fall. Jeannette Leahy provides comic relief as a scotch-swilling secretary, and Korman is affable and sympathetic in his screen debut. This is an enjoyable, well-done exploitation melodrama spiced up with brief nudity for the adults-only set, and remains the best of Lewis' early films. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
